Ontario Provincial Police Block

Police corruption is a form of police misconduct designed to obtain financial benefits, other personal gain, or career advancement for officers in exchange for not pursuing, or selectively pursuing, an investigation or arrest. One common form of police corruption is soliciting or accepting bribes in exchange for not reporting organized drug or prostitution rings or other illegal activities. Another example is police officers flouting the police code of conduct in order to secure convictions of suspects — for example, through the use of falsified evidence.

Time for Governor General to revoke the Order of Merit from retired Ontario Provincial Police officer James Van Allen.

Will Jim Van Allen become only the second recipient in history to have to return the prestigious award from Her Majesty?

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean announced the appointment of Detective Sergeant James Arthur Van Allen to the Order of Merit of the Police Forces on January 6, 2010.

What the Governor General didn’t know was that the OPP officer was actively engaged at the time in criminal and other misconduct; including illegally taking money ‘on the side’ to work as an unlicensed private investigator. Van Allen’s actions were in violation of the Criminal Code, the Ontario Police Services Act and the Private Security and Investigative Services Act.

This according to evidence recently filed in Ontario Superior Court.

The Order of Merit of the Police Forces is awarded by Her Majesty to only a handful of Canadian police officers each year after a lengthy and involved nomination and selection process. The standards of the award are high. According to the official briefing package, recipients must have “irreproachable character exemplified by good conduct, industry and efficiency that serves as a model for others.”

The Order of Merit briefing package and forms are available online at:

The standards for retaining the award are also high. The only recipient in history to have the award terminated was an RCMP Sergeant who was caught drinking and driving while off duty.

According to an affidavit sworn by Toronto lawyer Che Claire and a recently filed Statement of Claim in an Ontario civil case, Detective Sergeant Van Allen was a serving OPP officer in charge of the Criminal Profiling Unit at OPP headquarters during his nomination period for the Order of Merit in 2009/2010.

It is alleged that at the same time, Van Allen illegally took money ‘on the side’ from a major law office to work as an unlicensed private investigator, contrary to the Criminal Code, the Ontario Police Services Act and the Private Security and Investigative Services Act.

Also among the allegations is that Van Allen and the lawyers concealed from the court the fact that Van Allen was a serving police officer. It is alleged that Van Allen and the lawyers created and placed Van Allen’s deliberately deceptive and false affidavit before the court and sent an innocent man to jail.

While the allegations have not yet been tested in court, the filed evidence is available on the Internet where anyone can read the court documents, listen to the secretly made (but legal) voice recordings and decide for themselves about the civil lawsuit known as ‘Donald Best v. Gerald Ranking et al’. (Superior Court of Justice, Central East Region: Barrie, Court File No. 14-0815)

Incredibly, the evidence filed with the court includes Van Allen’s invoices to the law office for his illegal investigative services, as well as Van Allen’s affidavit detailing his illegal investigation. There is also a secretly made recording of a phone call with Van Allen where he confirms that he retired from the OPP in October 2010. This recording along with his CV and 2009 invoices to the lawyers seems to confirm that Detective Sergeant Van Allen broke several provincial and federal laws in exchange for money ‘on the side’ during the same time period when he accepted the Order of Merit of the Police Forces.

Termination of Membership in the Order of Merit of the Police Forces

According to the available briefing package, termination in the Order of Merit of the Police Forces is ordered by the Governor General upon the recommendation of the National Advisory Committee and the Principal Commander of the Order, when a Member has been convicted of a criminal offence or has been subject to official and serious sanction.

The Governor General, however, does not have to wait for a recommendation. According to the rules, the Governor General can act independently and make an ordinance terminating the person’s membership in the Order.

This might be appropriate in the case of now retired Detective Sergeant Van Allen, as the Order’s National Advisory Committee is mired in conflicts of interest.

These conflicts include:

- According to evidence filed in the courts, the OPP Professional Standards Unit covered-up Van Allen’s wrongdoing during an internal investigation in 2013. The OPP and two very senior OPP officers are currently being sued for their roles in the cover-up.

- Current Committee member OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes O.O.M. received his Order of Merit at the same May 26, 2010 ceremony as Van Allen and then OPP Deputy Commissioner Chris Lewis.

- According to information found at the OPP website, current Committee member Vince Hawkes was for many years Detective Sergeant Van Allen’s colleague/supervisor/commander regarding the OPP’s Behavioural Sciences Unit up to the moment of Van Allen’s retirement in October 2010.

- As Van Allen’s colleague and commander in 2009/2010, Committee Member Vince Hawkes undoubtedly had knowledge of, was supportive of, and may have had a direct or indirect role in Detective Sergeant Van Allen’s nomination for the Order.

As an ordinary Canadian, I have reviewed the evidence available to me online, which I find to be credible and strong. I have regretfully come to the conclusion that the misconduct by OPP Detective Sergeant James Arthur Van Allen M.O.M. is sufficiently proven to cause me to believe that his continued membership in the Order of Merit of the Police Forces brings the Order into disrepute.

The Governor General should independently and fully investigate the allegations against James Arthur Van Allen M.O.M. and then make the appropriate command to terminate Van Allen’s membership in the Order.

Whether Detective Sergeant Van Allen is allowed to retain the Order of Merit of the Police Forces under circumstances where such strong and credible evidence proves his wrongdoing, or whether the award is taken from him; the decision will be a definitive and public message to Canadians.

The only question is which message Canadians will receive from Her Majesty.

Following is a sample letter to His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, along with online references where the evidence can be examined.

Sample Letter to Governor General

Name of WriterStreet AddressTown, ProvincePostal CodePhone or email address

Month Day, Year

His Excellency the Right Honourable David JohnstonGovernor General of CanadaRideau Hall1 Sussex DriveOttawa ON K1A 0A1

Re: Disreputable Conduct by Order of Merit of the Police Forces recipient James Arthur Van Allen

Your Excellency,

Sworn evidence has been filed in Ontario courts that allegedly proves Ontario Provincial Police Detective Sergeant James Arthur Van Allen M.O.M, violated provincial and federal laws (including the Criminal Code sections 120/122 Bribery of Officers / Breach of Trust) during the time period when he was nominated for and received the Order of Merit of the Police Forces.

The allegations include that while Detective Sergeant Van Allen was employed as a police officer in 2009/2010, he illegally took money ‘on the side’ from a major law office to work as an unlicensed private investigator contrary to the Criminal Code, the Ontario Police Services Act and the Private Security and Investigative Services Act.

Incredibly, the evidence filed with the court includes invoices that Detective Sergeant Van Allen tendered in 2009 for his ‘on the side’ illegal investigative services.

It also is alleged that Van Allen, while delivering sworn evidence in a civil case, concealed from the court the fact that he was a serving police officer and that his evidence was the product of criminal and other wrongdoing.

Further it is alleged that Van Allen created, and swore to under oath, a deliberately deceptive and false affidavit on October 21, 2009. Other violations are also detailed in the evidence, including that Van Allen illegally released information from police files, and that his ultimate ‘clients’ were known by Van Allen to be suspects in the criminal threatening of court witnesses, as previously reported by the victims to the Ontario Provincial Police.

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean announced the appointment of Detective Sergeant Van Allen to the Order on January 6, 2010; only 9 days before his deceptive and false affidavit sent an innocent man to jail. All this from sworn evidence currently filed with the courts.

Detective Sergeant Van Allen was also honoured with the Police Exemplary Service Medal on June 22, 1999, and with Bar on July 16, 2010. Van Allen retired from the Ontario Provincial Police in October of 2010.

Attached is a Motion Record filed in the Court of Appeal for Ontario on February 14, 2014. According to the motion record and included sworn affidavit of lawyer Che Claire, Detective Sergeant Van Allen’s misconduct in 2009/2010 was only recently discovered because senior colleagues in the OPP Professional Standards Unit covered-up his wrongdoing during an internal investigation in early 2013.

In light of various considerations, including the apparent cover-up by the Professional Standards Unit of the Ontario Provincial Police, this is one of those rare situations when Your Excellency should not wait for a recommendation from the Principal Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces.

Further, the Order’s National Advisory Committee has conflicts of its own that must preclude the Committee’s involvement in any further process in the Van Allen matter.

These conflicts of interest include:

- Current Committee member OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes O.O.M. received his Order of Merit at the same May 26, 2010 ceremony as Van Allen and then OPP Deputy Commissioner Chris Lewis.

- According to information found at the OPP website, current Committee member Vince Hawkes was for many years Detective Sergeant Van Allen’s colleague/supervisor/commander regarding the OPP’s Behavioural Sciences Unit up to the moment of Van Allen’s retirement in October 2010.

- As Van Allen’s colleague and commander in 2009/2010, Committee Member Vince Hawkes undoubtedly had knowledge of, was supportive of, and may have had a direct or indirect role in Detective Sergeant Van Allen’s nomination for the Order.

As an ordinary Canadian, I have reviewed the evidence available to me online, which I find to be credible and strong. I have regretfully come to the conclusion that the misconduct by OPP Detective Sergeant James Arthur Van Allen M.O.M. is sufficiently proven to cause me to believe that his continued membership in the Order of Merit of the Police Forces brings the Order into disrepute.

I hereby respectfully request that Your Excellency independently and fully investigate the allegations against James Arthur Van Allen M.O.M. and make the appropriate command to terminate Van Allen’s membership in the Order.

Further, I respectfully request that Your Excellency also make the appropriate command to terminate Mr. Van Allen’s Police Exemplary Service Medal and Bar, which was awarded during the same time period of misconduct.